Cargill to close Alabama corn milling plant

February 10, 2009
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by Eric Schroeder

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DECATUR, ALA. — Cargill announced it will close its Decatur corn milling plant in the next three to four months, eliminating 100 jobs. The facility, which was closed briefly in 2006, makes corn sweeteners and industrial starch.

"We communicated when we reopened (in 2006) that our run was likely to be short," said Bill Brady, spokesman for Cargill. "Though a unique set of circumstances allowed us to reopen at that time, most of the factors that had influenced our initial decision to close were still very much there. Chief among them was the high transportation costs faced by Decatur due to its location far away from the Corn Belt. Today, all of that remains true, and on top of that we have an unprecedented economic environment both domestically and globally."

Mr. Brady said Cargill’s customers will be served by other Cargill corn milling locations, including its closest plants at Memphis, Tenn., and Dayton, Ohio.

In addition, he said the company will offer its workers severance packages, benefit continuation and outplacement assistance.

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